2.02.2019

I Am Not a Pheasant Plucker...

“I’m a pheasant plucker’s son.” I won’t finish this off-color tongue twister, as you can imagine where it is going...

Yes, I am the son of a pheasant plucker, but I don’t know which parent plucked! Dad hunted the pheasant, and Mom roasted it for our table.

But who did the plucking? Dad? Mom? The latter seems the more likely scenario, as I know she (reluctantly) gutted all the fish we boys caught.

Either way, the pheasant we had as kids wasn’t farm-raised and it wasn’t my favorite. It was always dry, definitely gamey, and full of buckshot. Not to mention lots of tendons.

When I was at the farmers market a couple of Sundays ago, Top Knot Farms - my go-to source for chicken and duck - was offering beautiful, fresh, farm-raised pheasant. Yes, please! I had two beautiful Syrahs to serve with it - head over to the Provence WineZine to read about the pairing!

While my mother was a great cook, pheasant wasn’t her strong suit. Maybe it was the material she had to work with. Here was my chance to make a moist, succulent bird that would not break my teeth on buckshot.

I perused and adapted multiple sources, and came up with this wonderful preparation and method for cooking a 2-pound bird, perfect for two people. The carcass and any leftover parts (the legs and wings) made a delicate broth that will, this evening, be the basis for a lovely risotto.

Here’s to pleasant pheasant plucking!

~ David

Roast Pheasant with Marsala Pan Sauce 1 (2 pound) farm-raised pheasant salt freshly ground black pepper 1 shallot peeled and halved 1 small carrot, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces 3 sprigs fresh thyme 1 sprig bay 2 sprigs rosemary 8 slices pancetta juice of 1 orange 1/4 cup Marsala 1 cup prepared demiglace (or rich stock) 2 tablespoons cold, unsalted butter Preheat the oven to 500°F and position the oven rack in the bottom third of the oven. Wash and pat the bird dry. Season the cavity and the outside of the pheasant liberally with salt and pepper. Stuff the cavity with the halved shallot and carrot along with the bay, rosemary, and thyme. Squeeze the juice from orange and set aside. Arrange the pheasant in an ovenproof skillet (cast iron is a good choice), breast side up. Cover the pheasant with the pancetta slices, including the legs. Roast for 15 minutes at 500°F, then reduce oven to 400°F. Remove pancetta from the pheasant and let it fall into the pan. It will crisp as it roasts. Roast for another23 minutes, or until the juices run clear. Remove from the oven and transfer the bird and pancetta from the pan to a carving board. Let the bird rest, tented loosely with foil to keep it warm. Set the crispy pancetta aside. Place the skillet with the drippings over high heat and, when hot, deglaze with the reserved orange juice and Marsala, scraping up any brown bits from the bottom of the pan. When the liquid has reduced by half, add the demiglace and continue to cook until sauce has reduced enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 3 to 4 minutes. Whisk in the butter and remove from the heat. Using a fine-mesh sieve, strain the sauce into a clean bowl. Carve the pheasant, serving a breast and a thigh-leg to each guest, with the crisp pancetta as a garnish. Serves 2, can be doubled.

40 comments:

This recipe looks a lot better than the one where you ate buckshot! I imagine that covering the bird with pancetta would give the bird and sauce lots of flavor. Looks like you could use this recipe also for baking an 'ordinary' chicken. Marsala, orange juice and smoky pancetta- what a combo for the sauce!

A brilliant cook David, one I'm sure any of your family would enjoy or would have enjoyed. I've had my share of lead buckshot in a bird, but when they switched to steel shot I started looking closely for the little round tooth chippers. We have an abundance of wild (and farmed) pheasant, so this recipe is destined to be saved to my "Must Make" board for when a bird is available. As to the plucking, I'm with you, best left to others.

How funny! Love this post, David (and the photo of your dad)! I think I had pheasant once as a child in Scotland, but don't remember it making a strong impression on me, one way or another. Yours looks wonderful, though!

Dear David, what a beautifully written post - loved reading about your mum's cooking...This is a fabulous recipe - the last time I ate pheasant must have been ages ago but I remember that I really enjoyed how it tasted. Your version with this lovely sauce sounds absolutely delicious! Liebe Gruesse, Andrea - the photo of your dad is wonderful too

Pheasant prepared this way, bathed in wine and potatoes or pasta as a side was our autumn combination during hunting season at my grandmother's . It is absolutely delicious dish and I am happy you presented it with an excellent orange "twist". Thank you David !

What a delicious recipe, with such dreamy flavors. I love the cooking technique. I had pheasant years ago, and have never imagined plucking one. That job wouldn't go to me. ;-) I love the photo of your father!

Wow, I'm not sure I've ever even seen pheasant in a meat market around here! Again I learn about an intriguing new-to-me ingredient from your blog! Your roasted pheasant looks wonderful and comforting. I just read about a farm in Wisconsin that will deliver frozen pheasant meat, David. I'm going to look into this! :)

Oh the good old days of chomping into pheasant and also finding buckshot in there. I, too, share this memory from my childhood. Dad often went out pheasant hunting, though I don't remember if it was Mum or Dad that did the cooking. It was always in a stew of some sort, not like this glistening (and buckshot-free) beauty you've presented us!

I am glad I am not the only one who had to negotiate bites around the buckshot, John! Our Italian friends say that they used to have pheasant in a salad (which we just made with them) and in a cream sauce. Another friend said it was alla cacciatore. What do I say? Bring it on!

Oooh this looks delicious! My dad had all sorts of poultry from guinea fowls to turkeys and ducks plus pigs and cattle but I don't think pheasants are good in our area (otherwise he would have had them too)

You have my mouth watering David! In your Mom's defense, a friend's husband hunts wild turkey and she says she hasn't found any way, despite years of trying to turn them into something tender and delicious. So yes, farm-raised all the way!

I have family coming to visit soon and they would love a roast like this given to them. They always fear they will be given vegetarian food...lol I will surprise them with this beautiful looking roast instead.